749 replies to this topic

[Blueox4]

These are now out of stock at Altair Astro. Glad serial number #48 found its way here. Waiting for my baader Zeiss T2 prism diagonal to arrive so I can try it out. 

[Don Taylor]

These are now out of stock at Altair Astro. Glad serial number #48 found its way here. Waiting for my baader Zeiss T2 prism diagonal to arrive so I can try it out. 

Report please on the T2 Zeiss prism diagonal. I have thought about picking up that diagonal multiple times - but I have several already including the non-Zeiss T2 prism and a T2 BBHS. 

 

I know Thomas (Astrojensen) said the 2" Zeiss spec prism diagonal worked very well in his Altair 102F11ED.

[Gazpacho]

There are 2 things I can tell you about my experience with the Baader T2 Zeiss prism diagonal.  First, when I used it with my non-ED 102mm F11, it's performance was phenomenal.  It is clearly a top notch performer.  I bought it expressly to use with my Takahashi Abbe Orthos.  Second, my eyes aren't good enough to distinguish the subtle differences between top notch diagonals.  For instance, I can't tell the difference between the Zeiss prism and the BBHS.  Compared to "average" dielectric diagonals, the difference is noticeable.  Contrast, brightness and the ability to support higher powers stand out.

[Jethro7]

Report please on the T2 Zeiss prism diagonal. I have thought about picking up that diagonal multiple times - but I have several already including the non-Zeiss T2 prism and a T2 BBHS. 

 

I know Thomas (Astrojensen) said the 2" Zeiss spec prism diagonal worked very well in his Altair 102F11ED.

Hello Don,

The T2 Zeiss prism diagonal is one of the best diagonals that I own and Thomas is right it performs very well with the Altair 102F11ED. I highly recommend one. The first thing that was very evident  with the Baader T2 Zeiss Diagonal was zero detectable light scatter. My views of the Moon and other Planets are a little bit sharper and that little bit is big in my book. 

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Edited by Jethro7, 14 February 2021 - 11:50 AM.

[Caldwell 14]

Another vote for the TS fl11 if you absoulty have to have a long fl. A TAL 100 RS or an old Vixen 102 SP second hand would also serve you well. The last long fl scope I had was fl15, the rather wonderful Towa 335

[Mcloud]

I get feeling that this optic may do a better job on double stars, as opposed to the Santa f/9.  I have reluctantly left the dark side and never looked back except in the case of doubles.  No matter the tweak, eyepiece, site or modifications I am always left feeling like a nice 5 inch long focus, or better still, ED scope would have split the stars more cleanly.  Ironically, the only time I saw the adorable puppy star was with a lowly ref!vector, a Yamaha sho Mewlon!  But the owner told me that before the Super Scope, he too had come to the conclusion that visually the reflector outperforms the refractory at a price point that just can't be ignored.  Yes you lose a bit of FOV, but with today's eyepieces, nobody can really say they are suffering.

I remember not long ago a gentleman who owned his own company introduced optimum Newtonians with features found on very few scopes outside of aftermarket add one.  Rotating tube rings, extra rigid mirror cell  that could hold collimation like an SCT.  Premium optics with curved secondary and so much more.  Don't think they are still in production but along with D&G, Ceravalo and Quantum I really wish I had gotten on board for one of these Newtonian, the pictures that owners were submitting simply astounding.  Especially of the solar system.

[Jethro7]

Hello Cners,

I finally was able to get some star time tonight after a couple of weeks of very inclimate weather. As I have posted before "The more time I spend with the Altair Starwave Ascent 102ED F/11, the more impressed I am with this scope" Tonight I had a very pleasant surprise that bordered on a epiphany. I was viewing the half Moon. In the past the highest magnification that I could muster was 378X and the views of the Moon at this power are amazing. For what ever reason tonight I decided to try the 3.2mm eyepiece with my new Televue 2X Powermate and not really expecting anything, no harm no foul and what a unexpected surprise viewing the Moons features at 701.25 X was totaly mind blowing that even at this astounding magnification this scope was still able to resolve the lunar features with a clarity that I never would have thought possible. I had to try my AT102ED at max power for measure, at 446.25X, no way. WOW!!! What a amazing scope the Altair 102ED F/11 is, just full of pleasant surprizes. I have become very aware why these Altair or TS 102ED F/11 have such a Cult following. I cant wait to discover what else this scope is capable of.

 

HAPPY HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP EVERYONE Jethro

[Astrojensen]

 

I cant wait to discover what else this scope is capable of.

Try double stars. It's an insanely strong double-star telescope. It also resolves globular clusters A LOT better than you think it should (under dark skies) and shows the Messiers and bright NGC objects with a lot more punch and authority than what you'd expect of a 4". 

 

Basically, try it on everything.

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

[michiel]

I can chime in here. In a suburban rather bad sky the view I had of M42 was more appealing than from my former 6 inch f6.5. Contrast was much better, field seemed somehow flatter and stars even better defined than in the 6 inch which was very good on deep sky. It still puzzles me how this can be. That it should be better on planets and the moon, I can understand, but I did not expect its deep sky performance. 

[Jethro7]

Try double stars. It's an insanely strong double-star telescope. It also resolves globular clusters A LOT better than you think it should (under dark skies) and shows the Messiers and bright NGC objects with a lot more punch and authority than what you'd expect of a 4". 

 

Basically, try it on everything.

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

Hello Thomas,

LOL... I've already been there and I agree. The long focal ratio gives you a very nice contrast allowing the starclusters to stand out. The most difficult of the double stars are the Orion Trapezium E and F stars. I have to slightly go unfocused and I can see the E and F stars are like a double blob but not split. I wont hold that against the Altair it is just not enough. Last night I was not expecting to be able to run the power up that high on the Moon and still retain decent resolution. What an amazing scope. 

 

HAPPY SKIES TO YOU AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

 

P.S. Thank you Thomas for helping persuade me to buy the Altair. 

[Jethro7]

I can chime in here. In a suburban rather bad sky the view I had of M42 was more appealing than from my former 6 inch f6.5. Contrast was much better, field seemed somehow flatter and stars even better defined than in the 6 inch which was very good on deep sky. It still puzzles me how this can be. That it should be better on planets and the moon, I can understand, but I did not expect its deep sky performance. 

Hello Michiel,

It has to be a combination of the Long focal lengh properties, giving you a nice long easy Light Cone and the smaller aperture providing a little less light pollution and atmospheric turbulence and a big part, these scopes are manufactured with decent optics by Kunming United Optical. At some point I usually do a star test. Last night I used Sirius, and the star test always looks spot on. Again this is because of the long focal lengh of these scopes that are forgiving of optical aberrations.This is my guess on why these scopes perform as well as they do. Or maybe it is just magic.

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Edited by Jethro7, 21 February 2021 - 01:11 PM.

[Astrojensen]

 

Again this is because of the long focal lengh of these scopes that are forgiving of optical aberrations.

No, they're just a lot easier to make to a quality level, where the optical aberrations are under control. The curves of the lenses are much less steep, which makes them vastly easier to make. The less steep curves also keeps spherochromatism under control, as well as make it much easier to find glasses that work well together and give good color correction. Everything simply becomes a LOT easier. 

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

[Jacques]

And at F11 depth of focus also comes into play I guess. Sounds like a killer scope at a very reasonable price. 

[Jethro7]

No, they're just a lot easier to make to a quality level, where the optical aberrations are under control. The curves of the lenses are much less steep, which makes them vastly easier to make. The less steep curves also keeps spherochromatism under control, as well as make it much easier to find glasses that work well together and give good color correction. Everything simply becomes a LOT easier. 

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

Hello Thomas,

I stand corrected thank you.

 

HAPPY SKIES TO YOU AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

[Terry Smith]

I had a chance to use my Altair 102ED f11 on three different nights looking at the moon. In Indiana the nights have been very cold but the seeing was good.

 

This telescope performs amazingly well. I used my Baader 18mm,10mm and 6mm orthos, plus my 22mm Silvertop plossl. I could not be more pleased. The moon's features were sharp and very contrasty. This is my first ED scope with a long focal length and I can see why they have a cult following.

[Jethro7]

Hello, Cners,

There is a Altair Starwave Ascent 102ED F/11 for sale on CN Classifieds, by Blueox4, if anyone is interested. I would have gone for it if several of my back orders did not become available to day, I already spent $1100.00 and that's enough for one day. Dont know why Blueox4 is selling it already Blueox4 just got it on Feb 21st????

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Edited by Jethro7, 24 February 2021 - 07:46 PM.

[coopman]

Maybe some of his backorders just came in too.

[coopman]

Is any vendor still selling these?

[Jethro7]

Is any vendor still selling these?

Hello coopman,

It was reported that Altair, had them in stock a week ago, and they have sold out.

 

HAPPY SKIES TO YOU AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

[michiel]

I had a chance to use my Altair 102ED f11 on three different nights looking at the moon. In Indiana the nights have been very cold but the seeing was good.

 

This telescope performs amazingly well. I used my Baader 18mm,10mm and 6mm orthos, plus my 22mm Silvertop plossl. I could not be more pleased. The moon's features were sharp and very contrasty. This is my first ED scope with a long focal length and I can see why they have a cult following.

I completely agree. Yesterday had a look at the moon. I used a baader 6 mm ortho and the view was totally sharp, no colour. Some craterlets were easily seen in plato. I also tried a 3 6 mm zoom televue. Crazy but at 4mm yielding almost 300x  the image  was still sharp. At 400x atmospheric instability rather than the scope started to play around. The best view however was with a baader mark V, 2.6x path corrector and televue zoom at 16 mm, yielding an estimated 180x. Easily the best moon view ever. I think the 102mm f11 ED uses some interdimensional effect so that we think it is 4 inch, but in real it is more, either this or magic, i dont know. 

Clear skies,

Michiel from Holland

[russell23]

Here you go ... My newly acquired Starwave 102 ED next to my AT102ED ED.  I’m wondering if 3 straight months of extremely poor skies can count as paying my cloudy sky tax prior to this purchase?   

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[daquad]

Here you go ... My newly acquired Starwave 102 ED next to my AT102ED ED.  I’m wondering if 3 straight months of extremely poor skies can count as paying my cloudy sky tax prior to this purchase?   

Both Kunming breeds.  Same excellent focuser, except for the finish.

[Jethro7]

Here you go ... My newly acquired Starwave 102 ED next to my AT102ED ED.  I’m wondering if 3 straight months of extremely poor skies can count as paying my cloudy sky tax prior to this purchase?   

Hello Russell23,

Two of my favorite scopes. 

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

[michiel]

Here you go ... My newly acquired Starwave 102 ED next to my AT102ED ED.  I’m wondering if 3 straight months of extremely poor skies can count as paying my cloudy sky tax prior to this purchase?   

Why would you have two 102mm ED scopes

[russell23]

Why would you have two 102mm ED scopes

I actually have three.  I didn't show the SV102 Access with fpl53 glass. 

 

I wanted to add this 102mm f/11 because I really like the way these longer FL scopes play with eyepieces.   The 102mm f/7 are great all around scopes.  I can get wide field views and nice high magnification views, but having acquired a few f/11 achromats in the last year I have been reminded of the beauty of a long focal length refractor.

 

Also, I don't want to mess with dew heaters and having several 102mm OTA allows me to swap a different ota onto my Superpolaris mount without having to change rings.  All three fit the same rings.